APSC SCAM – More than 100 answer sheets are same, reveals FSL official

With the arrest of more than 21 fake APS-ACS officers who bagged the lucrative APSC jobs-for-cash and now languishing across various police lockups of Guwahati on police remand, questions are being asked about why not the Assam Government hand over the entire investigation to the CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) by fixing 1992 as the base year when APSC first took the maiden flight to offer jobs against cash to non-deserving and inefficient candidates instead of the meritorious ones.

Absconding ACS Officer Rumi Saikia seeking blessing

While Times of Assam highly appreciates the effort taken by Assam Police for nailing the first 21 out of the 25 remaining of which are still at large, a sensational disclosure by a Handwriting Analyst of an FSL (Forensic Science Laboratory) entrusted to match and differentiate the handwritings of the gang of 25 on condition of anonymity informed that the Assam Police had requested examination of the handwriting of the answer scripts.

However, on further screening, it was found that almost 100% answers of more than 100 candidates were in the same pattern and without even the minimal mistakes which could not otherwise be humanly possible keeping in view the fact that most candidates had different examination centers across various districts of Assam. For example, if there was a composition to be written about ‘COW’, all those candidates who answer scripts were segregated for handwriting evaluation had the exact words, lines, paragraph followed by even punctuation marks.

It is now widely speculated that the first flight of APSC cash-for-job scam took to wings back in 1992 when Tara Prasad was the Chairman and after the first successful batch of managed candidates, the modus operandi automatically became a part of the system. In virtual terms, APSC under its various notorious chairman’s and members got the projection of a job vending machine where candidates pumped cash from the front and got an appointment letter from the dispensing end instead of real-time ATM cash vending machines.

Allegations are also ripe about many top APS and ACS officers presently holding the post of SP’s, Addl SP’s, ADC’s who paid up to 5 Lakhs for job starting 1992 besides faking cast certificates in a bid to gain entry by posing as an SC (Schedule Caste) candidate instead of general category. If assessed thoroughly 70% of those appointed after 1992 should automatically come under scrutiny.

In the meantime 3 including relatives of former MLA of Dhemaji Sumitra Patir and one close relative of Nagaon MP and Minister of State for Railways Rajen Gohain surrendered before the police today. However, it is yet to be ascertained who are the 2 among 6 of Sumitra Patir’s relative who surrendered till the filing of the news. The list contained names of Ashwini Doley, ACS brother of the MLA, Sibani Doley, Ranger, 2016 -17, Wife of Ashwini Doley, Karpun Patir, ACS, 2015, Elder son of Sumitra Patir, Jawahar Patir, Sales Tax Inspector, younger son of Sumitra Patir, Minakshi Permey Patir, ACS, daughter in law of Sumitra Patir, Gitali Doley, ACS 2015, relative of the MLA.

In the wake of the disclosure many noted intellectuals of the state, deprived candidates besides the general public has appealed through Times of Assam to Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal to hand over the investigation to CBI and bring all culprits to book and ensure justice for one and all.